City of LS Home Page
City of LS LinkedIn City of LS Instagram City of LS Nextdoor City of LS YouTube City of LS LStv City of LS Emergency Alerts
Careers | Get Involved | Contact the City
Toggle Open Close Mobile Menu
Water Utilities > Customer Service > Rate Information

Rate Information

Water and wastewater rates are developed as a part of Cost of Service and Rate Studies. These studies analyze operational and capital costs to determine the revenue requirements for each utility which are then allocated to the various customer classes based on their demands on the system to design a rate structure for the recovery of those costs. Our rates are evaluated on an annual basis with a five-year forecast and approved by the customer-based Water Utilities Advisory Board and the City Council.

Lee's Summit Water Utilities has two customer classes, residential and commercial. The rate structure for both classes utilizes a base charge plus a volume rate. This structure is designed to recover costs that can be generally identified as fixed or variable based on the causation of the cost. For example, costs associated with meter readings and the monthly billing process have been associated with the fixed costs of the system and are recovered through the base charge. Costs associated with consumption levels are determined to be variable and are recovered through the volume rate. 

Note: Monthly Base Charges and Volumetric Charges below are effective January 1, 2024.

Monthly Base Charges
Residential and Commercial

Meter Size  Base Water Base Sewer
5/8"   $12.12 $17.27
3/4"   $13.58 $19.31
1"   $18.18 $25.86
1 1/2"   $30.30 $43.10
2"   $60.60 $68.96
3"   $96.97 $86.20
4" $121.21 $120.68
6" $145.45 $172.40
8"  $206.05 $206.88
10" $424.23 $258.60

 

Water Volume Rates 

Monthly Quantity Charge
Rate per 1,000 gallons

Customer Type Consumption Rate
Residential  < 7,000 gals  $5.16
 7,001 to 15,000 gals  $6.06
 > 15,001 gals  $7.57
Commercial All Usage $6.06

 

Sewer Volume Rates

Monthly Quantity Charge
Rate per 1,000 gallons 

Customer Type Consumption Rate
Residential  Subject to Winter Sewer Average   $6.54
Commercial All Usage $6.54

 

Hydrant Meter

Meter Size Deposit Rate
3/4" $200.00 $5.00 per day + minimum 100 gallons per day @ commercial water rate
2" $200.00 $10.00 per day +  minimum 250 gallons per day @ commercial water rate

Winter Sewer Average

The winter sewer average is calculated using the water usage shown on the January, February and March bills. Sewer billing for the remaining nine months is referred to as the summer sewer average. The summer sewer average is based on winter usage unless actual water usage is less than the average. In that case, customers will be billed for actual usage. New customers receive a default average of 6,500 gallons.

Example: If the average winter usage is 5,500 gallons for January, February and March; from April through December, the bill will be for 5,500 gallons for sewer unless actual usage is less than 5,500 gallons. If 15,500 gallons of water is used in July, the bill will be for 15,500 of water usage but only 5,500 gallons of sewer based on the winter average.

The sewer usage is averaged because a number of customers water quite extensively during the spring, summer and fall seasons. January, February and March are used to average accounts because it is a good estimate of how much water is really used and disposed into the sewer. Almost all usage is indoors and is being directed to the sewer system.

Competitive Rates

Lee's Summit Water Utilities has maintained some of the lowest water and sewer rates in the metropolitan area, while still making strategic investments in water and sewer infrastructure and services.